Package deal keeps Cards perfect

Like the single woman with kids on a dating site, Teddy Bridgewater and Eli Rogers were a package deal two years ago. If you wanted one, you had to like both.

"Wherever I went, he was going to go and wherever he went, I was going to go," Rogers said.

The Cardinals again found out about the wisdom of taking that package deal Saturday when Rogers caught Bridgewater's game-winning 11-yard touchdown pass in the final two minutes, preserving their unbeaten record by edging South Florida 27-25.

On a day where the Bulls were the better team along the scrimmage line, outrushing 14th-ranked Louisville 197-128 and becoming the first team to stop Senorise Perry and Jeremy Wright, it was the package deal of high school teammates from Miami which saved its spotless record.

Bridgewater enjoyed a great day statistically, going 21-of-25 in the air for 256 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a team-high 74 yards on 10 attempts. As he usually does, Bridgewater spread the wealth, hitting nine different receivers.

Bridgewater's brilliance was needed more than ever on a day where the Cards had to make do on the injury-riddled offensive line. They played without starting left guard John Miller and his backup, Kamran Joyer, most of the day, then lost right guard Jake Smith with an injury just before halftime.

But left tackle Alex Kupper bailed them out, moving to Miller/Joyer's spot and helping the line play sack-free against an upset-minded opponent. That left the Bridgewater-Rogers package deal with the time and space it needed to maintain their perfection.

"He's one of those guys that I've been playing ball with since grade school," Bridgewater said of Rogers. "He did a great job of getting open and did a great job of coming down with the catch."

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NCAAF Team Report - Louisville - NOTES, QUOTES

WHAT'S AHEAD: The Cards stay home Friday night for a Big East showdown with Cincinnati that lost a bit of luster when the Bearcats were stunned Saturday evening at Toledo. That result notwithstanding, both teams are still unbeaten in the Big East and the winner will take a big step towards earning a BCS berth.

--Louisville's defense got after the QB for the second straight week, registering four sacks of South Florida's B.J. Daniels. After managing only five sacks in the first five games, the worst of any Big East team, the Cards have notched nine in the last two contests.

--Lost in the hoopla about the near-upset was that Louisville won its fourth in a row at home, the first time it's been able to say that in coach Charlie Strong's three years. The last time it did that was 2006, when it went 6-0 in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on its way to a 12-1 mark.

--With rushing TDs from Senorise Perry and Jeremy Wright, the Cards now have 19 as a team in seven games. That's the most they've had in a season since 2007, when they finished with 22. With six games left, counting their bowl trip, they should blow that old record to smithereens.

KEEP AN EYE ON: LB Preston Brown operates under the radar due to the great work of QB Teddy Bridgewater and the offense, but he has been perhaps the defense's most consistent performer. Brown recorded a career-high 17 stops against South Florida and broke up a pass. A unit which has not been at full strength most of the year due to nagging injuries would be much worse off were it not for the hard-hitting junior.

LOOKING GOOD: Bridgewater was as efficient as ever, completing 21-of-25 passes for 256 yards and two TDs while rushing for 74 yards on 10 attempts. What's more, he produced when it most mattered, helming his second game-winning TD march in the fourth quarter this year. The defense was able to produce some big plays against a mistake-prone opponent, bagging four sacks and forcing a pair of turnovers.

STILL NEEDS WORK: Both the offensive and defensive lines were pushed around for the game's majority, the first time that's happened in 2012. Louisville rushed for just 128 yards with the 1-2 punch of Perry and Wright managing only 56 between them. South Florida compiled 197 rushing yards, the second-highest total allowed by the Cards this year. Between that and allowing 8-of-15 3rd down conversions, Louisville's defense was fortunate to be on the winning side

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Even when they scored that last touchdown, our guys knew that our offense still had a chance. I guess we're called the 'Cardiac Cards' now." -- Coach Charlie Strong on his team's confidence in the last three minutes.